Shell and the world's greatest drivers

Shell V-Power is a premium fuel that is designed to maximise the performance of many modern engines. Available in Shell V-Power unleaded and Shell V-Power Diesel formulations, the fuels contain components specially selected for their ability to help maximise a vehicle’s power and performance. Shell V-Power unleaded has been developed for the road by being tested on the track by some of the world’s greatest drivers and riders, including current Ferrari Formula One team mates, Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa, and 2007 MotoGP World Champion, Casey Stoner.

Shell has enjoyed relationships with a host of outstanding riders and drivers over the years. With over 60 years of shared passion for performance with Ferrari, Shell has powered the likes of Jacky Ickx, Clay Regazzoni and, of course, Michael Schumacher to many race victories and, in the case of the German driver, seven Formula One World Drivers’ Championship titles. Last year, in his first season with Ducati (and only his second at the top level of the sport), Casey Stoner became the latest name on the list, winning the MotoGP title with a remarkable 10 wins from 18 starts. We caught up with Stoner at Donington, just before he won the 2008 British Grand Prix...

Casey Stoner

Top Gear: 2007 was your first year with Ducati, your first year with a factory team and only your second season on a MotoGP bike and you ended the year as World Champion. What was going through your mind as the season developed?

Casey Stoner: Every race we went to, we were expecting it to turn around and start heading downhill. As the season went on we started to realise things weren’t going to go wrong because it is a factory team. I had a lot of faith in my mechanics, my team and everybody around me. Everybody in the team was doing the best job they could. We knew if we kept our heads down, nothing would stop us.

TG: Did your confidence grow as the season went on?

CS: After the first few races, yes. In 2006, so many people called me ’Crasher’ for this reason or that reason, but I now realise that the bike I rode that year never felt the same from practice to race. I had a lot more confidence last year on the Ducati and nobody calls me Crasher any more, do they?

TG: This is top level sport and self belief is everything but did you ever have to pinch yourself while winning ten races in 2007?

CS: It would have been easy to think myself out of it without that self belief. I started to have a lot of self doubt about whether it was me or the people around me that were the reason why things were going wrong in 2006. When I moved to Ducati I realised where things were going wrong the year before.

TG: 2008 has been a harder season than 2007 though, hasn’t it?

CS: We’ve just had a run of bad luck part way through the season. Occasionally it was my fault but other times we had the camera box fall off the bike and flap about round the handlebars, getting stuck between the clutch and the bars. All kinds of things. Then at Le Mans, we had our first engine failure, my first DNF since I joined Ducati. Since then, we’ve brought ourselves right back into it. (Stoner went on a three race winning run immediately after our interview winning the British, Dutch and German Grand Prix’s back-to-back.)

TG: Has the 2008 Ducati been a bigger challenge than last year’s bike?

CS: The bike isn’t reacting the same way as last year’s with the same settings and the only thing we can think of is that other teams are experiencing different things with the tyres. After the Barcelona test in June, we made a big improvement in this area and so, hopefully, we can push on from this for the rest of the season.

TG: What’s the biggest difference you can make to improve performance?

CS: It’s a combination of things. The fastest bike without good tyres means you’ll win nothing. The best tyres without a half decent bike, you’ll win nothing. Different bikes will suit different tracks, too. You have to play to your strengths and reduce your weaknesses.

TG: How much comes down to the rider?

CS: A lot, of course, but no matter what kind of rider you are, without the right bike or tyres you’re going to do nothing. It’s a mix of everything but the rider is a bigger part than some people seem to realise. In some quarters there seems to be a suggestion that a dog could ride current bikes as quick as we do but even with traction control and all these modern systems, you’ve still got to be able to ride. If it’s that easy, how come it’s the same three or four guys running at the front every weekend?

TG: How much do you understand about the part that fuel plays?

CS: A lot. I’ve been to Shell’s research centre. Some people think you can buy a cheap fuel and get the same job done. You can’t. The Ducati is arguably the most powerful bike out there but we have to get as much performance as we can while still reducing fuel consumption. There’s a limit on fuel capacity and it’s a huge factor in current Grand Prix bike racing. I’ve run out of fuel a few times on the slowing down lap and nothing gives my team more pleasure than when that happens after I’ve won. Judging our fuel consumption in this way is a big part of what makes us successful and Shell contributes a lot to this.

TG: Are MotoGP riders more skilful than their Formula One counterparts?

CS: Not more skilful, no, just different. I think in car racing, it’s easier to get to a certain point and be close on lap times. A second in car racing might be three seconds on a bike. There’s more potential for accidents on a bike but then again, if anything goes wrong – like brake failure, for example – we can just jump off. Lose the brakes in a car, and you’re stuffed, that’s it. Bikes can seem more daunting, but cars race on street circuits with walls where run-off areas should be! It’s just different, I guess…

TG: What are the essential skills a bike racer needs?

CS: It’s really difficult to put it down to one or two things. Impossible even. Balance is important but if you can’t ride the bike, so what? In the past, teams have tried to get a brain doctor to help me with mental approach and I thought that was quite funny. He would tell me that my team mate had what was needed and yet I was kicking his ass every week. These days, you do need to be intelligent. Pure skill is not enough. You need a good team behind you, too.

TG: What’s your most memorable moment in MotoGP to date?

CS: Winning at Donington in 2007 after being booed by the crowd…. Actually, no. Laguna Seca last year. We were fastest in every session, set a new lap record, got pole, set fastest lap and led the race from start to finish. Not may people can say they’ve done that.

Prizes

To the victor, the spoils! Complete our online monthly quizzes for your chance to win great monthly prizes and the chance to compete at TopGear Live!

The top 20 challengers on the quiz leaderboard as at midday on 2nd November will be invited to a qualifying event at Daytona Milton Keynes. The best three drivers will then compete at TopGear Live at MPH at NEC Birmingham for the chance to win the title of Britain’s Best driver and a trip for two people to Australia in March to attend the first round of the 2009 Formula One World Championship.

Full details of the trip will be revealed closer to the closing date of the first stage of V-Factor 2008. Throughout the quiz stage of the contest a fabulous range of monthly prizes can be won including signed Ducati merchandise and a trip to the home of Ferrari in Italy.

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